University heads to join politicians at Neshoba

JACKSON – The leaders of the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University will share the podium with the state’s top political leadership this week at the historic Neshoba County Fair.

Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones is scheduled to speak today while Mississippi State President Mark Keenum is slated to speak on Thursday.

This will mark the first time in recent memory that university heads have spoken during the two days of the two-week event normally reserved for political speaking.

In the past in an off-election year, fair organizers invited all former living governors to speak in an effort to add interest to what is considered the state’s premier political gathering.

Both the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia and the Jacinto political speakings on July 4 at the historic Jacinto Courthouse in Alcorn County draw the state’s top political leaders even though the modern-day campaigns focus more on television and the electronic media.

The state’s political leadership – and those wanting to be part of that leadership – still speak at the events because they receive extensive statewide media coverage.

And even in off-election years, speakers sometimes make news or announce new initiatives at the Neshoba County Fair.

“The Neshoba County Fair is a top political stop that elected officials look forward to every year,” Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday. “It’s a chance to get away from the Capitol, visit with friends and sample some good Mississippi cooking.”

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The fellow at MS State, Mr.Keenum, has been rumored for about a year now as being a close confidant of Senator Cochran, and as someone interested in replacing him in his US Senate seat. I doubt that Cochran runs again next year, if he did, he certainly would have a very hard time speaking in public, much less engaging in any type of a debate. You see, bless his heart, he is rumored by those on “The Hill”, particularly Committee staffers who are very familiar with the Senator and his attendance at meetings, to be in a diminished state of mental and physical health. At his age, this is a somewhat common outcome for folks.

The reason that folks here in Mississippi never hear anything about this is because they have a state media establishment that simply never reports this stuff. They focus on the state elected officials like the Governor and Legislature, then turn to subjects like crime and cronyism and charter schools and economic development projects, etc. If you ever hear anything about people like Senator Cochran and Senator Wicker, it is simply because their staffs are emailing out and releasing what they want the in-state press to report and write about.

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